95-24615. Amendment to the List of Affected States Under Federal Coalbed Methane Recovery Regulations

[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 192 (Wednesday, October 4, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Page 52005]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-24615]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[ES-930-05-1320-020241A]


Amendment to the List of Affected States Under Federal Coalbed 
Methane Recovery Regulations

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Removal of Pennsylvania from the list of affected States.

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SUMMARY: The Energy Policy Act of 1992 (the Act) Pub. L. 102-486) 
requires that the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) administer a 
Federal program to regulate coalbed methane development in states where 
coalbed methane development has been impeded by disputes or uncertainty 
over ownership of coalbed methane gas. As required by the Act, the 
Department of the Interior, with the participation of the Department of 
Energy, developed a List of Affected States to which this program would 
apply (58 FR 21589, April 22, 1993). The List of Affected States is 
currently comprised of the States of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, 
Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.
    The legislative body of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the 
form of a resolution passed on June 28, 1995, petitioning the Secretary 
of the Interior for removal from the List of Affected States. The 
resolution stated that the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of 
Pennsylvania request the Secretary of the Interior to remove and delete 
Pennsylvania from the list of ``Affected States'' that will be subject 
to Federal regulations implementing section 1339 of the Energy Policy 
Act of 1992. Section 1339 of the Act provides three mechanisms by which 
a state may be removed from the List of Affected States:
    1. A state may pass a law or resolution requesting removal;
    2. The governor of a state may petition for removal, but only after 
giving the legislature six months notice, during a legislative session, 
of his intention to submit the petition; or
    3. The state legislature implements a law or regulation permitting 
and encouraging the development of coalbed methane.
    Since the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has met the condition for 
removal from the List of Affected States by passing a resolution 
requesting removal, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is officially 
removed from the List of Affected States.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
David R. Stewart, Chief, Branch of Resources Planning and Protection, 
Bureau of Land Management, Eastern States, 7450 Boston Boulevard, 
Springfield, Virginia 22153, or telephone [phone]; or Charles W. 
Byrer, U.S. Department of Energy, 3610 Collins Ferry Road, Morgantown, 
West Virginia 26507, or telephone [phone].

    Dated: September 25, 1995.
Gary D. Bauer,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. 95-24615 Filed 10-3-95; 8:45 am]
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